Going overseas to live

Living overseas usually means moving to another country permanently or spending more time overseas than in New Zealand. You must tell us before you go.

What happens to your benefits if you go overseas to live?

Important information

Before you leave New Zealand, make sure you discuss your plans with us, even if you’re only going for a short time.

Sometimes a short time away can be counted as ‘living overseas’.

New Zealand has Social Security Agreements with a number of countries. If you go overseas to live and you’re on certain types of income support, you may be able to take some or all of your payments with you – or receive payments from the country you move to.